Smith leaves the Trojans on a high note, having guided them to a single-season school record for wins (8) and a playoff spot this past fall.

But his legacy goes beyond what Alisal achieved on the field over the last decade.

Smith turned around a program that had never sniffed the playoffs in its first 38 years, changing the culture and belief that Alisal wasn't a football school.

"I saw how hard and how much time coach Mortensen put in,'' Smith said. "He gave me a blueprint to follow and I added pieces that I thought we could expand on. More importantly, I saw it in the kids.''

It took one year as a head coach at Alisal to change the atmosphere. Smith's attitude got contagious as Alisal won its first ever Monterey Bay League football title.

One of the first people to embrace Smith was Gary Mortensen, telling him you did something in one year I couldn't do in 30. Smith reminded Mortensen that he laid the foundation.

During Smith's decade on the east side, Alisal reached the playoffs four times, setting a handful of school records, beating every team in its league at least once, except for Palma.

"Being from Georgia, football, religion and family are the priorities,'' Smith said. "Sometimes the order varies. A lot of things my old high school coach did, I brought here.''

Such as incorporating a weight and conditioning program that began in February and carried over into the summer, often attracting more than 100 kids.

"That's when the chemistry starts to build,'' Smith said. "By the time you get to the summer, they've been around each other so much, they have a unique bond. We made it a part of their lifestyle.''

Hartnell College coach Matt Collins had observed Smith during practices and summer camps. He saw intangibles in his fiery style that resembled himself.

"I saw how he interacted with his players,'' Collins said. "I saw a hurricane of knowledge, energy and the ability to motivate and truly coach a group of kids into a football team. Coaches like that are invaluable."

Smith asked his players at Alisal to list their top five priorities. Three of them had to be family, the classroom and football.

"I felt what we did on the football field carried over in the classroom and in life,'' Smith said. "I remember my first year, I talked about college and kids were telling me 'We're from the east side, we don't go to college.'''

Wrong answer.

Smith, who will remain on campus as a teacher, didn't just preach football. He instituted academic standards, held study sessions before practice.

"I had to change that mentality first,'' Smith said. "I know for a fact that 70 percent of those kids I had in my first year as a head coach went to college. Two went to law school. That made my heart feel good.''

Smith, who recently completed his master's degree, never denied a desire to coach at the collegiate level. Yet, he had not pursued any openings. In fact, he turned down an offer two years ago.

"I could have stayed here 10 or 20 years and would have been happy,'' Smith said. "What made this decision easier is I didn't pursue it. Everything came to me.''

In fact, when Smith went in to listen to Collins, he wrote down 10 to 15 questions with the intention of getting the wrong answers.

"I felt there was no way I was leaving Alisal,'' Smith said. "But the answers fit. Then it became more of a reality. It hit me that this is what I've wanted to do.''

It didn't hurt that his first collegiate stop will be where he first donned a college uniform as an 18-year-old, 3,000 miles from home.

"When I walked onto the campus, it felt like I was coming home,'' Smith said. "When I initially came to California, Hartnell became my home. It felt right. I met my wife at Hartnell.''

"You'd be surprised how important a mentor like that on staff is,'' Collins said. "He's been here as a player. Sunil has been through the transition before. He can put his arm around these kids and talk to them.''

Smith leaves Alisal with the highest winning percentage of any Trojan football coach.

"It hurts leaving Alisal, it really does,'' Smith said. "But as soon as I think about Hartnell, I get overly excited. I'm pursuing a dream."

Before he meet with the team on Wednesday, Smith sat in his room and began looking at all the team photos over the last decade.

"Man it went fast,'' Smith said. "It's emotional. You don't realize how much you've accomplished until you put it down on paper. I tried to give these kids everything I had.''